ECS edges Verot 24-21
Throughout the fourth quarter Friday night at Evangelical Christian, coach Brian Lynch and his staff kept repeating the same statement: “Play for every second.”
Lynch couldn’t have been more right as the Sentinels defense held off Bishop Verot’s final attempt to pull out a miracle win as Viking quarterback Jake Kitsel sailed his fourth-down pass through the back of the end zone on the final play of the game, handing Evangelical Christian a 28-24 win.
With the lead and the ball, facing fourth-and-five from their own 47, the Sentinels tried to run out the game clock, but turned the ball over on downs when quarterback Colton Lynch was stopped two yards shy of a first down. That gave the ball back to the Vikings with a 1:30 remaining.
With third-and-10 on the Sentinels 49, the Vikings committed three false-start penalties, eventually leaving them faced with a fourth-and-20 at their own 41. Kitsel kept the Vikings alive with a 33-yard pass to senior Jeff Farrell.
“Our defense is our offense,” said Brian Lynch, regarding the fourth down conversion. “I knew they were exhausted.”
After a dropped pass and a six- yard screen play that ended up with Viking receiver Matt Brewer tackled in bounds, the Vikings were forced to spike the ball to stop the clock on third down.
ECS was affected by a number of injuries, including half of their offensive line, that greatly hampered the Sentinels throughout the game.
“We played about fifteen guys in the rotation,” Brian Lynch said.
The go-ahead score for the Sentinels came in the third quarter when Colton Lynch hit running back Sean Rawson for an 85-yard touchdown pass that stood as the game-winner. Colton Lynch finished the night 6-of-14 for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
The Sentinels play at LaBelle next week while Verot hosts Lemon Bay.
“I’m so overwhelmingly proud of the effort and the gut that they brought into the ball game,” Brian Lynch said. “They went against a great Verot team tonight and they pulled out the win.”
Bishop Verot 3 14 7 0 – 24
ECS 7 7 14 0 – 28
First Quarter
BV – FG, Maxx Moore 42
ECS – Sean Rawson 13 run (Matthew Schappell kick)
Second Quarter
BV – Donnie Farah 18 run (Moore kick)
ECS – Colton Lynch 3 run (Schappell kick)
BV – Jordan Diggs 8 pass from Jake Kitsel (Moore kick)
Third Quarter
ECS – Jeret Foshee 57 pass from Lynch (Schappell kick)
ECS – Sean Rawson 85 pass from Lynch (Schappell kick)
BV – Farah 2 run (Moore kick)